You're my Little Secret
by FellowLesbian
Summary: "Because they'd be so happy that I've kept an entire population hidden from them." - Or where Clarke meets Lexa alone in the forest and decides its better to keep her and the tribes hidden from the disorganized delinquents.
1. Hallucinations

"**We're back, bitches!"**

People flood out of the dropship, eager to finally set foot on the Earth they'd only ever imagined. Clarke stepped off the ramp, her eyes scanning the land around them. She couldn't help the grin that stretched over her face and the small laugh that escaped her lips. The sky and the trees and the dirt, the colors were so much more vivid than they'd ever been in the dusty old books on the Ark.

Curse her resourceful mind, Clarke's awe quickly turned to worry. How would a hundred inexperienced teenagers be able to survive on a radiation-soaked earth with no supplies, no idea how to get food or water, and no idea what was even out there? Not to mention that these _were _teens; they'd rather live in the moment than live past the next few weeks.

Clarke opened up a map fetched from the few supplies they did have. According to the Chancellor, they were supposed to be landing at Mount Weather, where they would find enough supplies to survive and maybe even people. Looking around them, they were not at all on a mountain. Flat land all around the landing site, the only mountains being miles in the distance.

"Lucky we didn't die in a fiery explosion, huh?" Clarke rolled her eyes, turning to raise an eyebrow at Finn. His smile faltered at her blank stare. "What? You not happy we aren't dead?"

"Of course I am, but why don't you ask that to the two people that died in the landing?" She huffed at his idle shrug. "Hey. You see those mountains over there? That's where our next meal is. If we can't make it there soon, we're all going to die anyway." She turns back to where she'd laid out her map, ignoring Finn still hovering behind her.

"Clarke!" Wells appeared over her other shoulder. "I've been through the dropship and assessed what we have. We don't have communication, heat, and not nearly enough to survive the next few weeks. We have to-"

"I know what we have to do," she snapped. "We have to get over to those mountains or we're dead. End of story."

"Woah, woah, you're serious?" Curse these boys, another came up to them from the mob. "We have food. We can find water. What else do we need?"

Wells scowled. "We can't survive off of what we have! They expected us to land somewhere with more resources, not in the middle of the woods!"

"Woah, hey, back off." Another guy strolled up, his walk leaking confidence. "Jasper's not done anything wrong. He just wants to have fun, don't you?" Jasper hesitantly nodded. "See? No need to get so angry. If anything, we should be angry at you, Mr. Chancellor's son."

Wells opened his mouth to protest before the other boy swiped his feet out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground. His one leg was injured in the crash and he went down like a brick. Finn jumped in from the side, stopping the boy's punch. "Hey, Murphy. The guy's got one leg. Why don't you wait until it's a fair fight?"

Murphy glowered. "Sure, whatever."

Clarke watched him stalk away before Finn's voice caught her attention. "So, when do we leave?"

* * *

Clarke left camp alongside Finn, Jasper, Octavia Blake, and Monty Green, heading in the direction of Mount Weather. For now, their plan was just to scout out the route to the mountain, not engage just yet. They only had a few hours left in the day and wouldn't be able to make it back to the dropship by nightfall if they tried to reach the mountain.

Clarke held casual conversation with Octavia, Bellamy's younger sister, as they walked, Finn being the lead and the other two boys leading the rear. She'd been trying to recognize any of the plants in the area but none had popped out so far.

Finn froze in front of them, holding up a hand. He beckoned them forward, putting a finger to his lips. Clarke moved down beside him and her breath was taken away. "Holy shit."

"Quiet," Finn hissed, and they sat in silence as the deer grabbed leaves off a bush. Finn shifted forward to get a better view and Clarke winced at the loud _crack _of a twig beneath his feet. The deer looked up towards them, revealing not a normal head, but a deformed one, a second head stretching out from the first and covered in raw, red skin. It fled and left the group gaping in its wake.

Clarke was only shaken back to reality when Monty slipped away from their group to examine the bush the deer had been eating from. His face lit up and he plucked a leaf from the bush and turned to them. "Berries!"

"Berries?" Clarke stood to move over to him. "Are they edible?"

Monty popped it in his mouth. "Hell yes!"

Clarke snagged one off the bush. It was a little blue sphere with a small petal at its top. She rolled it between her fingers for a moment before reluctantly taking a bite. The flavor burst in her mouth and she had to hold back a gasp. This was the real deal. Not some artificial fruit grown in a metal room, but food that came from the earth and the dirt and the wind. It was extraordinary.

Everyone else enjoyed eating the berries while Clarke opened her pack and began to fill it up with as many as she could find. The corner of her eye wavered and she turned, hoping to maybe catch a glimpse of the deer again. Something flickered between the brush and as she leaned forward to get a closer look it vanished, disappearing into thin air. Clarke jolted back in surprise.

"You okay over there?"

Clarke offered Octavia a smile. "I'm alright. I just thought I saw something. It was nothing."

"Mhm," Octavia replied, already filling her mouth with more berries.

Clarke smiled in amusement but couldn't help looking back toward the brush. It was nothing, she told herself. You're just being hopeful.

Hopeful.

* * *

Though the berries were appreciated, they weren't nearly enough to live off of. Combined with the fact that everyone else was an asshole, Clarke decided to strike out alone in search of more food. Or maybe that was just an excuse to get out of camp. Either way, she headed out on her own into the uncharted forest. It probably wasn't the best idea, not knowing what was lurking in the trees, but Clarke didn't particularly care. Worst comes to worst, she'll die an easy death of being mauled rather than starving.

The woods were peaceful. Birds chirped as they flitted through the trees, the occasional mouse would scutter into her path, but Clarke much preferred their company to that of other people right now. It was stressful, attempting to corral the unwilling teens. They wanted to party. Wanted to enjoy themselves. What they did _not _want to do was listen to her. They'd rather follow Bellamy.

Whatever. She'd do this with or without their cooperation.

Clarke rested her hand on the hilt of her knife, tucked into the belt of her pants. She wasn't good with a knife, not in the long shot, but the only gun they had was Bellamys and that was empty of bullets. Her stealth wasn't the best either, but it would have to do.

A bird cawed loudly to her left and she turned just in time to see something peeking around the trees. It was a young girl, somewhere around Clarke's age, with wavy brown hair and tan skin. She froze, her jade eyes meeting Clarke's gaze. Clarke stepped back, blinking, and in that moment the girl vanished.

Clarke rushed forward, looking around the tree and searching the area desperately. That was impossible. Someone couldn't just _disappear _like that. They had to have gone somewhere, and yet the girl was nowhere to be found.

She was good. Or perhaps Clarke was just going mad.

Nobody had survived the apocalypse. Not on the ground.

Clarke was set.

She was mad.

* * *

"You're sure?"

"No." Clarke sighed heavily, resting her chin in her hand. "I have to be going mad, O. No one survived on the ground. It's impossible."

"Well, we aren't dead from radiation yet, so maybe it is possible." Octavia tore at the dried, artificial meat that was a part of the few supplies sent down. They were on their last stock and finally, people were beginning to worry. "Besides, shouldn't we be hopeful? If other people survived, that means we can, too. They might have food."

"We might have food if we could actually make it to Mount Weather!" Clarke scowled, waving away an offering of meat from her friend. "If these people weren't so self-centered we could be surviving rather than slowly dying."

"We aren't slowly dying," Octavia deadpanned. "They were prisoners. This is their first time away from adult control. Let them have their fun."

"They've had their fun. Now it's time for them to stop being lazy asses and do something productive!"

"Bellamy's been taking groups out hunting," Octavia said. "They haven't caught anything yet."

"Of course they haven't. None of us have any clue how to hunt."

Octavia nodded. "My brother thinks he's all high and mighty being in control of these asses. He's getting arrogant."

Clarke threw her a side glance. "Okay. And?"

"You should take his place."

Clarke groaned. "I'm trying to. None of them will listen to me. They think I'll be just like my mother."

"Then show them that you won't. Gain their respect."

"How?"

Octavia smirked. "You need to impress them."

* * *

Impress them. Like it was so easy.

Clarke decided in that moment that she was going to learn how to hunt. It would accomplish both of her tasks: get food, impress the delinquents. Win-win. If she could figure it out.

Clarke once again took off alone with her trusty knife strapped to her side. The area around the dropship didn't have much life in its radius, likely because of the scene that both the landing and the occupants had caused. Life was ever so slowly edging closer but not close enough.

Clarke froze as a rabbit hopped into her path. It surprised her, considering she was only a ten minute walk from the dropship, and the last time anything even remotely big had been seen it had been the deer. Clarke sunk slowly to the ground, determined not to miss this chance.

She moved slowly behind it, unsheathing her knife and holding it at the ready. The rabbit looked up from the ground, ears perked, and she stopped all movement, waiting until it looked back down. She edged closer. Only a couple more steps to go. The rabbit looked up again, turned to look straight at her, and bolted.

Clarke cursed under her breath. Had it heard her? Could it see behind it? She didn't know. Something had gone wrong, but she couldn't fathom _what_. Clarke would like to consider it bad luck, but knew it was otherwise.

She slipped the knife back into her belt, a frown set on her face. How could she ever hope to learn something if she couldn't figure out what mistakes she was making?

"You're too loud." Clarke froze, almost dreading looking behind her. The voice was unfamiliar, one she hadn't heard from the delinquents, but then again, there were a hundred of them. She likely hadn't met them all. She decidedly ignored whoever thought they could do a better job. She heard a snort of laughter. "You're too heavy on your feet. You're breath is too loud. You're unaware of where you're placing your feet."

"Alright, would you stop-" Clarke turned around and felt all the breath rush from her body as her eyes met with a familiar pair of jade orbs.


	2. Political

**Clarke's heart stuttered to a stop as she stared at the girl in front of her.**

This couldn't be real. It was impossible. No one could have survived the radiation. Clarke stepped back, shaking her head. "That's it. I'm insane."

She heard the girl laugh lightly. "You are not insane, Skaigada. I am quite real."

Clarke watched her warily. "How? How could people survive? The amount of radiation left after the missiles was lethal. No one should be able to live out here."

The girl tilted her head curiously. "You live out here, do you not?"

"I-yes, but- have you lived outside your whole life?"  
"I have. And so have my parents and their parents before them."

Clarke's head was swimming with this new information. They weren't the only people left? They could have survived on the ground for the last few generations? Also, the fact that they now shared a forest with a group of unknowns. "Do your people live around here?"

The girl narrowed her eyes. "Yes. Your Skai ship fell on _our _territory."

Clarke held her hands up. "We're really sorry about that. Truly. We didn't choose to land here. Hell, we didn't even know people lived down here. We thought we were the last people alive."

"'Down here?' You did not live 'down here' before?"

Clarke shook her head. "No. We lived in space." At the other girl's visible confusion, Clarke amended her statement. "Up there. In the sky."

"Impossible."

"It's not!" Clarke huffed in frustration. "It's- you know what, this doesn't matter right now. Would you happen to know the best route to get to that mountain over there?"

The girl looked to where Clarke was pointing and stepped back, her hand resting on the hilt of- a sword? "Why do you wish to know? Do you hope to go there? Is that where your people come from?"

"What? No. No, we didn't come from there. But we think it has resources and want to get there so we'll have somewhere to survive. We don't know how to survive out here."

The girl smiled a bit. "I've noticed. I do hope you know that people already inhabit that mountain."

"They do?" Clarke perked up. "Is it your people? Will they help us?"

The girl practically growled, her hand clenching the hilt of her sword. "Those _ripas _are not my people!"

"Woah. Calm down. I didn't mean to offend you." Clarke looked back at the mountain with a new interest. "You don't seem to like the people who live there."

"The _maunon _are murderers who steal our people and turn them into monsters before sending them back to kill those they once loved."

Clarke was taken aback. "What? How?"

"We do not know. No one has ever returned from being a _ripa_."

Clarke didn't know how to follow what had turned to a much darker conversation. She glanced at the mountain again, trying to imagine the people inside.

She looked back at the girl. She had her head held confidently and seemed perfectly at ease in the forest, something Clarke could not admit to. She had her head tilted slightly as she watched Clarke.

"Are you the leader of your tribe?" Clarke started a bit, surprised at suddenly being spoken to.

"Not necessarily. I'm trying, but no one wants to listen."

The girl snorted in amusement. "I noticed. They do not seem to care about their inevitable death."

"Exactly," Clarke muttered under her breath before she realized exactly what had been said. "Wait, how would you know that?"

"I have been watching you, _Klark kom Skaikru,_" she said, moving slowly closer. "You would be a much better leader than the other boy. _Bellomi_, I believe."

"Yes." Clarke shifted nervously, not entirely comfortable with this unknown girl in front of her. "Exactly how much do you know? About us?"

"As much as I need to. You do not know how to survive. You are no threat to us, not as long as you stay the way you are." She raised her chin up, looking down her nose at Clarke. "You could change that, though. If you were to take charge."

Clarke was getting confused. "You sound like you want me to take charge."

"I do."

"Why? If we would become a threat, then why?"

"Because I have now met you." Her eyes glistened with interest as she scanned Clarke up and down. "I would not have shown myself to you if I didn't have a purpose."

"And what would that purpose be?"

"To ally my tribe with yours."

* * *

"What?" Clarke sighed heavily, rubbing her temples. This was getting to be too much. "Why? What could we do for you?"

"In all truthfulness, not much." The girl looked to the mountain, a frown forming on her face. "But you could do much for others, others who, with your _tek_, could become an even greater force. I do not want our enemies to get ahold of your _tek._"

"We don't have much of it. What could it do for your enemies?"

"I have seen the one you call _Bellomi_ using his 'gun,'" she said, the word sounding awkward on her tongue. "In the wrong hands, it could be a weapon of massacre."

Clarke realized that this girl didn't know the gun was out of shots, but she didn't bother correcting her. If these people became hostile, they'd need the leverage. "Okay. Then how do you want to work this 'allies' thing?"

"For now, all we need it a mutual agreement to not provoke the other side. I would recommend keeping this from your people for a time until everything is figured out."

"Wait a minute," Clarke said. "How would that benefit _us_?"

The girl cocked her head as she thought. "I suppose I could help provide you with food."

"Okay. And what do you mean keep it from my people? Why would I keep a whole population hidden from them?"

"Your people are unorganized, unprepared for political moves such as other nations. They would act rashly, especially _Bellomi_. I fear they would try and attack us. If that were to happen, I would be unable to prevent my people from retaliating."

Clarke considered. "Okay. Just for now."

"Very good. Before we part," the girl reached into her pack and pulled out the rabbit Clarke had failed to catch, a bloody wound on its back boasting its death. "Have this. An act of goodwill, say."

"Thanks, I guess." Clarke took the rabbit and weighed it in her hands before she noticed the other girl slipping away. "Hold on."

She paused. "Yes?"

"I never got your name." At the girl's odd look, Clarke elaborated. "You know my name. Shouldn't you return the favor?"

A beat of silence passed between them and Clarke worried she had overstepped some unseen boundary before the girl answered. "Leksa." She was gone ere Clarke could say another word.

* * *

"Lexa." The name was an unfamiliar one, short and simple, but Clarke liked it in that aspect. She had the rabbit tucked under an arm as she walked back and went over what had just happened.

People. There were whole tribes of people out there, not just surviving, but dealing in politics and other things that Clarke had never thought she'd have to be a part of, not on the ground. And though she hated having to deal with this alone, she knew she couldn't tell anyone. Not even Octavia. They weren't ready to hear this, especially not Bellamy's followers. Octavia, Finn, sure, they'd deal with it fine, but Clarke didn't trust them. Not yet. Not with something so big.

She got back to camp and the first thing she saw was people crowded around the fire, cheering on something she couldn't see. Her fellow survivalists were away from the action, seemingly disagreeing with whatever was going on. Clarke went straight to them.

"Clarke! Thank god you're back," Octavia said, running up to her. "Bellamy and Murphy are removing everyone's wristbands."

"What?" She set the rabbit down on a bin, ignoring Jasper's exclamation of joy at the prospect of fresh meat and marched over to the fire, pushing through the crowd. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Murphy looked up from whoever's wristband he was trying to pop off. "What does it look like, Princess? We're freeing ourselves from the bastards that sent us down here."

"They'll think you're dead."

"That's the point," Murphy deadpanned, pushing down hard on the piece of metal wedged beneath the wristband. It cracked open, and the crowd cheered.

Clarke scowled, pushing over to where Bellamy stood behind Murphy. "Why are you letting him do this?"

"Because, Princess," he said, rolling his eyes, "We don't want them coming down here after us. They say they'll pardon us from our crimes, well, they're lying. We like being free of their rules, free of all rules. Down here, we can do whatever the hell we want, whenever the hell we want!"

The delinquents roared in agreement, throwing out slurs toward the Ark, toward the chancellor, the council, her mother. Herself. Clarke scowled and, realizing she couldn't stop this, pushed her way back out of the crowd.

Jasper was still poking and prodding at the rabbit but Monty turned to her, as well as Octavia, Wells, and Finn. "So?"

"It's pointless," Clarke said, looking back at the criminals. "They won't stop."

Octavia scoffed. "Guess we'll be splitting this catch up ourselves."

"It's a good catch," Monty said. Jasper nodded in agreement.

They started their own small fire, and Monty did his best to skin the meat before they strung it up over the fire. The smell alone drew over some of the delinquents, but Octavia kept them back. "You got your wristband? No? Then back the fuck up!"

They happily split the meat among the six of them, not nearly enough to sate them but it was the best food they'd in weeks, better than any of the beat that had ever been produced on the Ark. It was their first taste of actual meat and, though it was a little overcooked, it was the best Clarke had ever eaten.

Bellamy wasn't very happy. "Clarke!" She sighed heavily and heard Octavia mutter 'here we go again.' "You got meat?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me? Or share any of it?"

"I am sharing it," she said blatantly. "And I didn't tell you because you don't seem to care much about whether you survive or not, so why bother?"

"Clarke-"

Octavia interrupted him. "Bellamy, why don't you stop being an ass for two seconds and you catch your own food."

Bellamy stood there scowling for a moment before he turned and called a couple of the boys to him, slipping off into the forest.

Clarke felt someone slide in beside her. "So, Princess, how'd you manage to catch this? I didn't think you were the type to go hunting."

Clarke raised an eyebrow at Finn, but seeing everyone else looking at her she answered. "Snuck up on it and stabbed it in the back." Or, that was what she tried to do. Lexa was the one who'd done it.

Finn whistled. "Shit, Princess, that's harsh."

"Are you complaining?"

"No," he said through his bite of rabbit meat.

Clarke turned back to her own food. "Thought so."

She caught a glimpse of movement in the bushes and could feel a grin tugging at her lips when Lexa appeared. She hovered in the shadows, scanning the camp, and offered Clarke a smirk when she noticed her watching. Clarke grinned back as discreetly as she could before Lexa slipped back into the foliage.

"Clarke?" She focused back on the people around her, waving it off as nothing.

This would be a hell of a secret to keep.


	3. Weapons of Evil

**The next time Clarke saw Lexa was three days later.**

After Clarke's 'success' at hunting, even if it was just a rabbit, Bellamy seemed determined to prove that he could hunt better than her. In all truth, he probably could, but it wasn't like she would tell him that.

Clarke had gone out with hunting parties multiple other times, but this would be her first time alone since the Lexa incident. She went out with the excuse of hunting, and she actually was trying to, but what she wanted was something different. Something secret.

"I don't understand how you still have animals around." Clarke turned sharply, unsurprised to see Lexa calmly following her path. "All of you walk like you're trying to step on every little thing you can."

"Well I'm sorry if I didn't grow up in a forest," Clarke said. "We can't all be ridiculously silent."

"I could teach you."

Clarke had to pause for a second to make sure she heard her right. "What?"

"I could teach you." Lexa crossed the distance between them, settling comfortably against the trunk of a tree just a few feet in front of her. "I said I would help provide food. My way of doing that is teaching you to provide food."

There was no reason to deny the offer. "Okay. Let's do it."

Lexa nodded, her face turning all serious. "First we must fix your feet. You step too loudly. Any animal could hear you coming." She pushed herself up. "Walk a bit for me."

Lexa had her walk maybe five feet before she stopped her. "You are trying to walk quietly, but it is not working. You put all your weight on wherever you step instead of distributing it. Walk on the outer edges of your shoes and roll your feet forward after you place down your heel. I suppose part of the problem could be your footwear, but we will have to make do."

Lexa knew what she was doing. As they moved, Clarke watched how Lexa walked and reveled in how silent she was, even when walking so casually. By the time Lexa decided it was time to part ways, it had been over an hour. Clarke didn't feel as if anything had changed, though Lexa insisted it was an improvement.

"We'll make a hunter out of you yet," she said, a small smile curving onto her face. "For now, though, I do believe I promised to provide." She took a knife out from her belt and threw it into the bushes in what to Clarke looked like a pointless maneuver, but Lexa followed after her knife and produced yet another dead rabbit.

Clarke looked at her in awe. "How did you do that?"

"Practice and experience," Lexa said, handing the rabbit to Clarke. "It is how we produce our food. Anyone who is able-bodied learns to hunt." Her eyes rested on the dagger strapped to Clarke's waist. "Perhaps next time we'll have to see how good you are with that knife."

"And when will 'next time' be?"

"The next time I catch you alone in the woods," Lexa smirked before turning around and disappearing into the foliage.

That girl was definitely something.

* * *

It wasn't until later that day that the topic of Mount Weather was brought up among her 'rebel group,' as the delinquents called them. It was something Clarke had avoided talking about ever since the startling truth of it had been told to her by Lexa.

"So, Clarke," Jasper said as he tore into a rabbit leg. "What happened to your desperate plan to get to that mountain?"

Clarke shrugged helplessly, her mind racing to think up a reasonable excuse. "From here, it has to be an eight-hour hike or so. If it really is the stock-full bunker we think it is, just the six of us wouldn't be able to get everything we need from there to here, much less across the thirty-something miles between."

"So Princess did her math," Finn said. "Any reason you didn't figure this out before?"

"Optimism." Clarke prayed that would be enough, that would be the end of it. Of course, it wasn't.

"People are starting to realize that Bellamy isn't a very good leader. We could rally up however many are willing to go and, I don't know, scout out the path there?" Monty said.

"Leave the rest behind, that's what we do." Octavia threw a scornful gaze at the people sitting around the main fire. "If they don't want to save their own asses, then fine."

"We can't do that," Clarke said. "We're not leaving them behind. That's another reason I'm hesitant to go. I don't want to have three dozen miles between them and us."

"Leave a trail or something. Maybe they'll follow us."

Clarke sighed. She really hoped Bellamy got his shit together soon. If she wanted to tell them about their newly acquired allies, she'd need him to get them organized. He was the only one the delinquents seemed to listen to. If he opposed her, she'd never get anywhere.

"Whatever," Clarke muttered. "I'd rather wait until the camp isn't such a mess to pursue anything that big."

Octavia narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure you're okay? This seems… sudden."

"Maybe I was just hanging onto hope all before now." Clarke looked toward the distant peaks, internally hurting as she imagined how Lexa's people felt being ripped from their families by whatever horrible people ruled the bunker. It was enough to make her determined to keep her people away from the same fate, and Lexa's as well if she could. If she could.

Her people come first.

* * *

This was the fourth time this week she'd seen Lexa.

She'd fallen into a routine. Every other day, she went out alone to go 'hunt.' Bellamy tried to convince her to go with a hunting party, but she shot him down, saying she did better alone. He couldn't argue, considering the last two times she'd come back with food.

Clarke was picking up quickly on Lexa's teachings. Knife throwing came easy to her; she could throw well, only needed to refine her aim. Her stealth was improving, but it was still a far cry from what it would need to be in order to hunt efficiently. Lexa was still providing the meat, though she was certain that given another week or so Clarke could perhaps catch something herself.

The relationship between the two was awkward. It was all business, and though Clarke had taken a liking to the grounder girl, Lexa wasn't as willing to put her trust in Clarke. She could understand that; it's hard to like someone when you don't know whether they'll still be around tomorrow.

Clarke's knife struck just inches from the X Lexa had carved onto the trunk of a tree. Lexa nodded, pulling it out and tossing it back. "Getting closer. Again."

Clarke shifted her posture a bit to the right, the knife hitting a few inches off on the other side. Lexa repeated the same action she'd been doing since they'd started. "Don't adjust your body, adjust your throw. Aim your body at the target, aim your throw at the mark."

Clarke shifted back to her original stance, the knife sinking in maybe two inches top-left of the mark. Lexa tossed the knife back and Clarke once again aimed and threw.

At the same time, a horn blasted in the distance, messing up her aim and sending the knife crashing into the bushes. Lexa looked up sharply, her eyes turning toward the mountain in the distance. Clarke followed her gaze and was startled at the orange mist descending from its sides.

"We have to hide." Lexa scooped up the rabbit she'd pre-hunted and beckoned for Clarke to follow. "Come."

"Wait, hold on," Clarke said, not moving. "What is that stuff?"

"Acid fog. It burns the skin of anyone it touches. We must find shelter," Lexa said, once again starting to move away.

"But my people! How will they know to find shelter?"

"Would you like to go back and warn them?" Lexa asked. "Your 'dropship' is closer to the mountain than we are. The fog moves fast. It will reach them before we could. We must save ourselves and hope for the best."

Clarke took one look at the fog rushing toward them and knew Lexa was right. She nodded her consent and followed her away.

"So do you have a place to hide around here?" Clarke asked, struggling to keep up with the hard pace Lexa had set.

"In this area? No. We will have to find somewhere."

They sprinted in the opposite direction of the fog, Clarke blindly following, having no idea where they were going. She felt something catch on her foot and fell to the ground with a thud. She turned to look at the orange haze in the distance and scrambled to get up.

"Come on!" Lexa grabbed her wrist and hauled her to her feet, turning to continue their sprint, but Clarke held her back. Lexa turned to yell at her but Clarke was more focused on whatever she had tripped over.

Clarke dusted the leaves away, revealing a small handle stickup up out of the ground. She grabbed it and pulled, feeling it give slightly before something began to push back. "A little help here?"

Lexa crouched beside her, grabbing the handle and pulling with all her strength. It groaned open, the rungs squealing as if it hadn't been opened in a century and a half. Lexa seemed hesitant to go down into the unknown bunker, but another glance at the fog that was almost upon them made her relent. She slipped down and Clarke followed after her, pulling the hatch closed just as the fog swept over them.

She held onto the ladder, unsure of what was below them with no light to see in the pitch black. She heard Lexa drop onto the floor and carefully dropped as well, bending her knees to lessen the impact. She could hear Lexa shuffling around ahead of her and stretched out her hands. She felt for the walls, finding one on her right and feeling all over it. There was a switch there. She flicked it up. The overhead lights flickered for a second before shutting back off, but it gave Clarke enough time to find what she was looking for. Clarke moved carefully over to what had looked like a desk tucked against the wall, running her hands over it until she felt the rubber rim.

Lexa flinched as Clarke flicked her newly acquired flashlight on, aiming the beam into the darkness in front of them. The bunker was small, looking unused as if it had been prepared but never gotten the chance to be lived in. There was a dusty couch, a dirty bed, two small coffee tables, and a few various shelves and cabinets hung onto the walls.

Clarke sighed heavily, smacking the couch cushion and coughing through a cloud of dust before sitting down. "So. Does this sort of thing happen often?"

Lexa hovered awkwardly at the opposite end of the couch. "Perhaps twice a moon cycle. They only release it when we get too close."

"They? This is from the maunon?" Clarke sat back against the cushions, mumbling under her breath, "damned bastards."

"_Sha_, this is maunon." Lexa finally sat down on the couch, keeping a good two feet between them. "They don't want to risk us getting close, despite that there is only one impenetrable way in."

"Only one? Are you sure?"

"_Sha_. It is a great door, one that never opens. It is many feet thick."

"Never opens," Clarke repeated. "If it doesn't open, how do they get in and out? With the reapers and all?"

Lexa clicked her tongue absentmindedly on the roof of her mouth. "You suspect they have another entrance we do not know of. I suppose it's possible. It's not often we get very close." She looked up with Clarke, something new shining in her eyes. "You are smart, _Klark kom Skaikru_. I have not thought of such an approach."

"Really?" Clarke was surprised. "Have your leaders not sent anyone out to investigate?"

Lexa grimaced. "_Nou_. They have eyes in the trees. We cannot get close without meeting with _ripas, maunon _or the fog. Believe me, we have tried. No one has yet returned alive."

Clarke nodded, deep in thought. The maunon obviously had tech like the Ark, they hadn't left it behind as Lexa's people had. She guessed the eyes were cameras, and if they could find where the cameras were and avoid them, then perhaps they could get to the mountain's edge. If not, maybe they could try and communicate a peace with them, or at least try and understand more about them.

Clarke realized that there was so much more that they could do for Lexa and her people than she had realized. The things they had, the knowledge they held, it could be so much more helpful than any of them had thought it would be. Clarke looked at the hatch, seeing the tiny wisps of orange haze drifting in through the cracks. "I'm going to help you defeat the maunon."

Lexa looked up at her, surprised. Clarke caught the corners of her lips twitching up into a smile before being forced back down. "I'm not sure you quite understand. The maunon cannot be defeated."

"With what you had before, no." Clarke lifted her wrist, her eyes searching over the tiny metal transmitter. "But with what we have, maybe they can be."

"Doubtful. The maunon are too powerful."

"But you've never had tech. They'd never think you'd have tech. If we could combine our minds, use both your people's skills and our machines, maybe we could at least do some damage. It's worth a try, is it not?"

Lexa couldn't help the small grin at the thought of finally bringing down the mountain. "You are right. There is no harm in trying."

Clarke grinned back at her. Lexa was always so serious, it was nice to get some hope out of her. Lexa's eyes moved down to the wristband she'd been looking at. "What is the metal bracelet? All of your people have one, or had one."

Clarke's grin slipped as her mind returned to the delinquents. "They're transmitters. They send our vitals back up to the people on the Ark, let them know if we're alive, injured, dead, the likes."

Lexa's eyes widened slightly. "Even when your Ark is in the sky?"

"Yes. The wristbands release signals that get picked up by receivers on the station. It's nothing that complicated."

"If that is what you call 'not complicated,' I would like to know what you would consider complicated." Lexa relaxed back into the couch, finally seeming more at ease now that the topic of the maunon had passed. "Tell me more about this 'Ark' of yours. You grew up on it, did you not?"

"I did." Clarke went on to tell her about her experiences on the Ark, feeling relieved that there was finally someone she could complain to that wouldn't immediately report her to some higher authority. Perhaps it was still too early to make judgments, but Clarke trusted the grounder girl. She just seemed so authentic. Clarke couldn't help but admire her.

She was something new. Something she'd never seen before.

Clarke wanted more of her.


	4. Come and Gone

"**Clarke!"**

Clarke smiled at Monty's excited exclamation, happy to see that what looked like everybody had survived the acid fog. "Monty! Is everyone alright?"

"One dead. Harper saw it coming from the distance and everyone got inside. The hunting party found caves to hide in. Only Atom died." Monty hugged her tightly for just a second. "We were worried about you. Where did you go?"

Clarke's mind wandered not back to the bunker but to Lexa, her partial smiles and the one half-hearted laugh she'd managed to get out of her. "I found an old bunker. There wasn't much in it of use, but it's well hidden."

Monty was about to reply before Clarke heard her name called again. Octavia grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her back and forth. "Where the hell were you?"

"I found a place," Clarke replied vaguely. "Do you have any idea what that was?"

"Some sort of poisonous mist," Monty replied. "It burns the skin. Atom had blisters as big as a dinner plate on him after laying in it for the entire time. It didn't kill him, but it would have after a few hours. The way it reacts to flesh reminds me of a chemical reaction."

"Is it radiation?" Wells asked, coming up behind Monty. Clarke's lips twitched down and Wells' face looked like a kicked puppy.

"I don't know what else it could be. There was never anything like this in old-world texts. We'll have to watch out for it in the future."

Clarke nodded in agreement. "So we will."

"Clarke." Said girl turned to Wells with a frown. His eyes were on the ground, his face downcast. "Can we talk?"

"About what?"

Wells flinched at how much venom was in her tone. "Mount Weather."

Clarke did not want to deal with his bullshit right now, but she supposed she would have to at some point. "Fine. We'll talk." She stalked into the dropship. Wells trailed behind nervously.

He walked in to Clarke facing him, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently though it hadn't even been a minute. Wells took a deep breath. "We need to go to Mount Weather."

"We've had this discussion already."

"I know, but we need those provisions. Yes, it's a three dozen mile walk, but we won't survive another week at the rate we're going. An occasional rabbit isn't enough to keep a hundred people fed."

"Then maybe they should get their shit together and actually get some food," Clarke scowled.

"Clarke-" Wells sighed heavily. "Listen, I didn't want to have to tell you this, but if it will get you to hear me out, then I will."

"Tell me what?"

"I didn't kill your father."

Clarke was taken aback, not by the statement, but by the abrupt change of topic. "No. Your father did you that after you betrayed my trust."

"That's not what I mean. I mean I didn't tell him."

"Then who fucking did?" She hissed. "Who else _knew_?"

Wells' sad look made her pause before it hit her. Only one other person had known. If not Wells, then…

"No." Clarke stepped back, her eyes widening. "No. She wouldn't. She wouldn't."

Wells moved closer, hesitantly resting a hand on her shoulder, and she surprised him by wrapping her arms around him and burying her face into his shoulder. Tears slid down her cheeks. "Why would she do it?"

Wells rubbed circles on her back. "She was doing what she thought was best for her people."

"By _killing_ her husband?"

"She thought my father would convince him to stop, not float him."

Clarke snarled, pulling out of Wells' hold. "Your father's a bastard."

Wells nodded sadly. "I wish he wasn't, but… even I can't deny that he is."

Clarke heaved another breath, the sadness replaced with a raging fury. At her mother, at Jaha, at Murphy and everyone else who didn't understand that _they are going to die_. Not just the hundred on the ground, but those on the Ark as well if they don't come to the ground.

Clarke pushed past Wells toward the door to the dropship. He watched her, confused. "Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving for a bit. I need to be alone." Her face softened just a bit looking at Wells. "And, just so you know… I'm happy to have you. Thank you."

Wells didn't have time to respond as Clarke slipped out of the dropship and strode into the woods she'd come from not ten minutes prior.

* * *

Clarke paced the woods outside of camp, careful not to stray too far after earlier events. Her mind was reeling. She felt overwhelmed. After spending the first half of the day with Lexa and then being told that Wells had let her _hate him _just so she wouldn't hate her mother? She felt a swirl of emotions flooding her mind: anger, at her mother for killing Jake, at Wells for keeping it secret. Sadness, at her father being slaughtered by his wife. Confusion, at _why _Abby had killed him. She'd loved him. Of that Clarke had no doubt. Yet she killed him.

Clarke rested her forehead against the bark of a tree, her breath coming in quick gasps as she struggled to rein herself in. She knew she should go back; there were things to do after being stuck inside all morning. She took a minute, breathing deeply under she felt her racing heart calm down. With a last heaving sigh, she pushed herself off the tree and headed back to the dropship.

As she got closer to their camp, a commotion caught her attention. She sped up, half jogging back and pushing through the crowd of people hovered around the entrance to the ship. Miller and Harper were keeping everyone back best they could but neither stopped Clarke from walking right between them.

Finn and Monty were crouched on the floor while Bellamy was trying to calm down a raging Octavia, who had a knife pointed at Murphy. Murphy was leaning against the wall, hands up in surrender but not seeming at all bothered. Jasper was hovering in the corner, unsure. Monty looked up at her and breathed in relief. "Clarke! Thank god, you have to come quick."

"What is it?" Clarke rushed over to him and almost collapsed as she saw Wells, lying on the floor in the same spot she'd left him standing before she'd left, with blood leaking out of the side of his neck. "What the hell happened?"

"Murphy," Finn answered. "Stabbed him in the neck. He's alive, but…"

Clarke scrambled to his side, pressing her fingers to his pulse. She could feel it's beat, but it was so faint Clarke knew it was hopeless. Wells' breath came in stranged gasps, his body convulsing slightly. Her face contorted in pain. "He… he won't make it. We should…"

Finn nodded. "I will." He touched her shoulder lightly, leaning over. "You don't have to be here for this."

She shook her head. "I should. Just do it."

He nodded, pulling a knife from his belt. Clarke slipped her hand into Wells', holding onto her friend tightly. She'd never get the chance to reconcile with him, to ask him why he'd let her hate him when it hurt them both. To thank him for everything he'd given her.

She had to force herself to watch as Finn slipped the knife into his neck, hitting point. He died within seconds.

Clarke had to keep a sob from forming. She could cry later. Now was not the time.

She let out a shaky exhale. "Dig a grave and bury him with the others."

Finn, Monty, and Jasper began to comply with her orders as Clarke went over to the Blakes and Murphy. She grabbed Murphy's shoulders and slammed him against the wall. "Why? Why the hell did you have to _murder _him?"

Murphy smirked. "Princess is angry I killed Junior Chancellor. How surprising."

"Is that why you did it? Because of his father?" She snarled, releasing him from her hold. "You're sick, do you know that?"

Murphy smiled lazily. "I know."

"What are we going to do with him?" Octavia asked, prodding him with her blade.

"We could kill him," Bellamy suggested.

"No," Clarke said firmly. "We are not the Ark. We are not going to kill people, even him." Clarke looked Murphy dead in the eyes, her face cold and expressionless. "I say we banish him."

* * *

Clarke was eager to escape camp the next day. The whole atmosphere was tense, wary of everyone after Wells' death. They were surrounded by criminals. Who knew if anyone else was out for blood?

Clarke moved as silently as she could toward her and Lexa's usual spot. They'd claimed a small section of the southern woods for their own use, and the trees there were all filled with the marks of Clarke's knife. She rested her hand on the hilt of said knife, feeling reassured by its constant presence at her side. It was all the protection she had, and these woods still made her a bit nervous.

To her surprise, Lexa was waiting leaning up against a tree, sharpening her dagger on a whetstone. She usually had to wait until Lexa dropped from the trees _somewhere _(because no matter how hard she tried, Clarke could never find where she came from) and yet she now stood in the open.

Lexa saw her before Clarke could get a word out. "Clarke. I was wondering when you'd show up."

"Since when do you _wait _for me?"

Lexa let a small smile grace her face for just a second. "Since today. You have your knife, yes? Throw it at the target."

Clarke did as she asked. The knife struck dead center.

Lexa nodded approvingly. "Good. You're a natural at this."

"Surprisingly." Clarke whirled around at the unfamiliar voice, startled to find another woman behind her. Her hair was brown, more chestnut than Lexa's chocolate. Her eyes were narrow, a feature commonly attributed to what the old-world had called 'Asian.' She held the same steely, emotionless mask Lexa normally showed. "I had thought all skai people were horrendous at weaponry.

Clarke snorted. She was right. "And you are?"

The woman tilted her head. "You should learn to respect your superiors, _skaigada_. I am Anya, general under the Heda."

Heda. It was a familiar term, one she'd heard Lexa bring up in passing a few times. "Heda. Your… leader, yes?"

"Yes." Anya's eyes flickered to Lexa for a moment before coming back to Clarke. "And you are the _Skai Heda_."

"You could say that." She'd rather not tell this unknown of her and Bellamy's competition for leadership.

"Clarke has offered her support against the Maunon," Lexa said from behind her, moving to stand at her shoulder. "I would like to know your opinion on this."

"Has she?" Anya's eyes shone with interest. "And what can this singular girl do for us? From what I know, no one else has noticed us. I hadn't known you were aware of our presence."

"You're right, no one else knows you exist. And it will stay that way until I think my people can handle the news."

"You are afraid they will act rashly." Anya nodded. "A sound decision, as long as you can handle them."

Clarke chose to ignore that. "You are here to discuss the mountain."

"_Sha_, I am. The clans have tried many times to fall the mountain. What makes you think you can make a difference?"

"Tech." Clarke explained to Anya what she had told Lexa. "We understand the Mountain's workings. You say it's impossible to get close? We can help you with that."

Anya leaned forward, a malicious smirk forming on her face. "Tell me all you know about tech, _Skaiheda_. Their eyes in the trees. You know how to close them?"

"I know what they are. We call them cameras. They're small cubes that have a recorder and transmitter inside them, and the maunon can watch you through them. If you can locate the cameras and destroy them, they can't see you."

"And how would this help? The door is still the only way in."

"I don't think it is. From what Lexa's told me, the maunon or their reapers will periodically leave the mountain. If they don't go through the doors, then they must have another way somewhere else. You'd be more skilled in that area, so that would be your job. I can't tell you much more with how little we know, but if we can get inside or just close, maybe we can see more of how they operate."

Anya nodded. "You have covered most of what we know. The only other information I can give you is what we can see from where we stand. One of those is large metal platings stood up on the peak. What of those?"

"Satellites, probably. We had them on the Ark. Where I came from," Clarke added at Anya's confused look. "They can pick up signals and send them back to the source. That's how the cameras work. The cameras send a signal into the air that the satellites can pick up and send into the mountain."

"It enables long-range communication?"

"It would, yes."

Anya hummed thoughtfully. "The only other thing we can observe is a large wall that pours water in from the rivers."

"A dam. In the old world, they used dams for many things. To block out water, to provide a source of water, or even to provide energy."

"Energy?"

"Electricity. What we use to power our tech. We'll have to look farther into the purpose of the dam."

"You offer a promising relationship, _Skaiheda_," Anya said. "Your information can be beneficial to us. But how do we know you will not turn to the mountain? You are more alike them than us."

"Lexa told me what they're doing to your people. I would never side with someone who would condone that," Clarke scowled. "Though I would ask of something in return if we were to ally our peoples."

Anya raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You think you can demand something of us?"

"If you want us to give you something, I want something in return," Clarke answered. "It isn't anything that should be a problem."

"What is it you ask, _Skaiheda_?"

"Help." Anya tilted her head at Clarke's request. "As you may know, we don't know how to survive in this new world. All I ask is that you help us live. Help us along until we can manage ourselves."

"And say this plan does succeed and the maunon do fall. What of our alliance then?"

"How do the different clans keep an alliance?"

Anya shot a knowing look at Lexa, one that left Clarke confused but didn't speak up on. "Our Heda forged that alliance. She brought all twelve clans together peacefully, a feat no other commander has done. The clans keep the peace through Heda and through trade agreements."

"Could we offer the same trade agreements?"

"What would you have to trade?"

Clarke shrugged. "Tech, maybe. If not, I'm sure we'd eventually grow skilled enough to sell what we catch."

Anya looked at her with a look that Clarke thought was respect, though with this woman it was hard to be sure of anything. "Very well, _Skaiheda_. You shall have this alliance, but only when you organize your people. I believe Lexa wishes to continue with your… _meetings_. She will inform me of when you are ready to begin negotiations."

Clarke nodded, and Anya sent one last amused glance toward Lexa before slipping into the foliage.

She sighed heavily, dropping her back against the trunk of a tree. "She's… intense."

Lexa couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face. "Indeed."

"I'm guessing she's your general, then?"

Lexa's smile dropped. "In a sense."

She didn't elaborate. Clarke knew she wasn't going to.

"So… are we training or what?"

Lexa snorted in amusement. "Yes, Klark. We are." Her eyes moved down to her legs. "You have no muscle."

"I lived in a metal box my entire life."

"Yes, you did." Lexa met her eyes once more. "We need to fix that. Try and keep up."

Clarke's legs were going to hurt like hell when this was over.


	5. Welcome Awakenings

**When Clarke banished Murphy, she'd never expected to see him again.**

Much less being pushed along with Lexa's fist wrapped around the back of his shirt.

Clarke was stunned as Lexa tossed Murphy to the ground. Murphy looked up at her with a confused look on his face, his eyes flitting between her and Lexa. Lexa rapped him on the bad of the head. "He yours?"

"... yes." Clarke narrowed her eyes at him. "We banished him."

She nodded. "I'd seen him wandering. What did he do?"

Clarke scowled. "Murdered someone."

Murphy rolled his eyes. "Jaha Junior deserved it."

"Like hell he did."

Lexa grabbed his hair, yanking his head up. "Don't speak, _ripa_, or I will gag you." She looked at Clarke. "Mind if I have him?"

She shrugged. "Do what you want with him. We don't want him."

Murphy actually looked shocked. "You know this savage?"

Lexa snarled and backhanded him across the face. "Silence, _banau_. I will not feel guilt over harming a murderer."

Clarke approached Murphy. "You are more of a savage than she is. You deserve whatever they do to you." She nodded to Lexa, who heaved him to his feet. She raised a hand into the air and two other people dropped from the trees, each taking an arm and dragging him off.

Clarke tried to brush off her surprise. "Friends of yours?"

"Guards. They've been watching the camp along with me, though they are there more to make sure they stay in line rather than gather information. I am the one who is collecting the information."

"So is that your job? To spy?"

Lexa cocked her head thoughtfully. "I do many things. This is just another task to complete."

A vague answer. But then again, all of Lexa's answers were.

"Okay." Clarke shifted her weight, pulling out her dagger. "What now?"

"Put the knife away. Your throwing skills are fine."

Clarke groaned. She knew what that meant.

* * *

Luckily enough, days at camp were getting better. Clarke was learning to bring in more food herself rather than just have Lexa provide it for her, and a few others around camp seemed to be getting a feel for it as well. Most days, everyone ate something, even if it was only a small slice of rabbit meat.

They were beginning to organize a working system. The hunting party went out at dawn. As people woke, some would start a couple of fires, as a cold chill was beginning to set in, a time of year old-world had called 'autumn.' Some people would collect water from a small stream they had found trickling by about a mile or so east. Tents had been set up from the supplies in the dropship, usually five or more per tent, and many still slept in the dropship, Clarke included. As more and more people accepted that they needed to work to survive, more was able to be accomplished. Firewood was gathered and stored. Logs were set up around the fire pits. All in all, things were finally starting to smooth out.

Clarke continued to meet Lexa, not daily, but often. She honed her throwing skills and had, according to Lexa, gotten much better at keeping quiet in the brush, though was still far from perfect. She was confident that she would soon be able to reveal to her people the existence of the clans.

Not yet, though. Not when Bellamy still largely held control over the camp.

Clarke was more respected, definitely. People listened to her. They did as she asked. But they would much rather listen to Bellamy than to her. Clarke was a daughter of the council. They thought that if they gave up control to her, she would seize it much like her mother had.

It was still too much of a risk.

It had been four days since she'd last seen Lexa, a fairly long period compared to their normal meetings. Though many people still lazed around camp all day having fun, Clarke was working herself to exhaustion. She hadn't had the time to see Lexa.

So Lexa came to see her.

"Clarke." She felt a light shake on her shoulder, rousing her from her slumber. Clarke growled lightly from her throat, her eyes still heavy with exhaustion. "Clarke, wake."

That voice.

Her eyes cracked open and then went wide at Lexa, hovering by her side. In the dropship. Surrounded by other delinquents.

"What the hell are you doing?" Clarke hissed quietly, sitting up and looking around to make sure no one was awake. "You shouldn't be here!"

"They will not wake. Your people sleep heavy, including you. I am a hunter. I will not wake them."

Lexa was right. Nobody even stirred.

"Okay, point proven. Now, why did you come here in the first place?"

Lexa smirked. "You'll see."

"What? What does that mean?" Lexa stood, slipping out of the dropship. Clarke followed as quietly as she could. Lexa was waiting outside. "What are you doing?"

"Come," was all she said, darting off into the woods past the single dying embers of a fire.

Clarke had two choices: stay back at camp or follow Lexa into the unknown.

She went with Lexa.

Lexa moved swiftly, heading north in the direction of the mountain. She glanced over her shoulder occasionally, never long enough for Clarke to see her face, only to check that she was following. Lexa led her a fair distance before stopping. "We are just shy of it."

Clarke looked around. "I've been through here before. There isn't anything special about it."

"In the daylight, no. During the night- you shall see."

"What could be so special about the forest at night? It's still just a bunch of-" a gasp broke her words as Lexa parted the foliage in front of them. It was a familiar clearing, but the only difference was that the moss that covered the trees and the ground all glowed a blue hue. Butterflies flitted around above them, glowing just as brightly, looking like stars in the night. She could feel a wide grin stretching over her face.

"Do you like it?" Lexa asked, walking up from behind close enough for their shoulders to brush.

"Like it? Are you kidding, this is amazing!" Clarke couldn't help the laugh that broke out of her, her once drowsy body thrumming with excitement. "What is this stuff?"

Lexa shrugged, dragging her through it and leaving a dark stripe that quickly regained its glow. "I do not know. If anyone would know, it would be our healers, for they are familiar with herbs, but a healer I am not."

Clarke absentmindedly traced her finger in the moss. "Not that I'm not grateful, but why did you show me this?"

Lexa shrugged. "I wanted to. I knew you would enjoy it, and it is not something you can see anytime you want. Though I suppose I do want to escape my guards for a bit. They do not leave me alone."

"The price we pay for safety, I guess."

Lexa scoffed. "I can defend myself."

"I have no doubt you can."

Lexa's lips twitched into a smile. "Sit with me, Clarke."

Clarke sat next to Lexa in the moss, curling her feet up beneath her. "So?"

"Tell me about you."

Clarke raised an eyebrow. "If I do, I expect you to return the favor."

Lexa hesitated, but as much as she knew she shouldn't, she had started to trust this skai girl over the last couple weeks. Never once has she suspected Clarke of having ulterior motives or even something as small as telling a lie. She truly believed the Clarke she saw before her was genuine. Not a facade like _Heda_. Clarke had nothing of the sort. She and _skaiheda _were one and the same. Lexa could not say that about herself. In all truthfulness, she was more herself around Clarke than she was around any of her people. Everyone back home saw her as _Heda_. To Clarke, she was only Lexa.

And so Lexa found herself agreeing.

Clarke's smile made it worth it.

* * *

"Tell me about where you live."

Lexa clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth, considering. "I live, officially, in Polis, the capitol. It is many days from here on horseback, so I am currently staying at the capitol of this clan's territory, _Tondisi. _Or, I will be, once my mission is finished."

Clarke was leaning forward, eager to hear more about this mysterious population and their customs. "What clan are we in?"  
"The clan we are currently in is called the _Trigedakru_, or _Trikru _for short. To the north is _Azgeda_ and _Sankru. _East is _Floukru_. South is _Louwoda Kliron _and _Yujleda_. West is _Ouskejon Kru_. I am from the _Trikru_, though I only lived here for the first three years of my life until I was moved to Polis."

"What clan is Polis in?"

"Polis also resides in _Trikru _Territory. It was one of the only old-world cities to have even a single building still upright. That single building is the commander's tower." Lexa's eyes shone as she began to speak about Polis. "The tower is the best part of the city. It is over a hundred stories high, though not many have access to the upper levels. The top is where the eternal flame burns. The city itself would take hours to cross on foot it is so large. I would guess at least thirty thousand reside within the city, not including the constant flow of travelers. People from all clans come to Polis, so trade is very diverse."

Clarke's eyes widened. "Thirty _thousand_? How many people are in all twelve of the clans?"

Lexa shrugged. "_Trikru _has around thirty, forty thousand people total, and it is one of the most populated clans. I would estimate at least a couple hundred thousand people inhabit all twelve territories."

"Hundred thousand," Clarke mumbled. "That's… incredible. How big are the territories?"

"On horseback, it would take months to cross from _Trikru _to _Ingranrona Kru_."

"Holy shit." Clarke leaned back heavily against the tree, sighing loudly. "That's… a lot."

"Indeed. We have become good at staying alive."

"Yeah, I can tell." Clarke sighed again. "The Ark only has about two, three thousand people. You could crush them."

"Not everyone is a warrior like myself," Lexa said, pulling out her dagger. "Many are, though. Especially in clans like _Trikru _and _Azgeda_. At least half of the population, if not more."

"That's still over a hundred thousand. I can't believe your commander actually decided to give us a chance when you could have easily wiped us out and went on with your lives."

Lexa was amused. Little did she know.

"The commander is just, at least whenever justice is an option. She has spared your lives for now."

"I'm glad she did." Clarke looked around at the bioluminescence. "Even if she hadn't, I'm glad we came down here. It's hard, but it's so… _free_."

Lexa smiled. "I could not imagine living how you did. I don't think I could have dealt with such restraints. You are strong in that aspect, Klark."

Clarke smiled back, leaning over and bumping their shoulders. "Maybe so, but you'd still put me on my ass in seconds if I tried to beat you."

Lexa chuckled quietly. "You have a strong mind. In a battle of wits, I'm sure we would at least tie."

The two laughed again, but a voice interrupted their bubble of peace. "Clarke?"

Clarke knew that voice. "Shit," she hissed. "You have to leave."

"Who is that?" Lexa asked, rising to her feet easily and helping Clarke up. "Why do they want you?"

"He must have noticed I was gone," Clarke said. "And that would be Finn."

Finn. Lexa knew of the boy. He was always ogling at Clarke, always trying to gain her favor. It made her sick. He was pitiful and didn't realize that Clarke had no such interest in him. She felt the urge to punch him in the face, to watch the blood run from his broken nose, whenever she saw him staring at Clarke like she was some sort of goddess. It made her insides boil.

Clarke saw Lexa's scowl. "You don't like him. Doesn't surprise me. You can tell him how much you hate him later. Right now, you need to leave." Lexa hesitated but heard the crunch of the skai boy's feet on the earth. She nodded and gracefully scaled one of the trees, peering out from behind the thick trunk. She caught Clarke's eye one last time before the shaggy-haired boy stepped into the clearing.

"Holy shit…" he looked around at the glow but lost interest in it when he saw Clarke walking slowly toward him. "Clarke! There you are!"

"Finn." Her voice had a hint of anger and frustration, something Finn didn't seem to notice. "Why were you looking for me?"

"I saw that you were gone and I was worried," he said, once again looking at Clarke like she was vital to his existence.

"I can take care of myself. I don't need you to protect me." His face fell a bit and Lexa smirked. "Stop treating me like I'm a child. Go back to camp, Finn."

Finn looked broken. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

"Yeah, well, I don't need you to," she snapped. "Leave."

"I can't leave you out here by yourself!"

Clarke groaned. "Fine. I'll come back with you. Don't do this again," she warned. Finn nodded, happy Clarke had accepted his 'help.' Clarke sent an apologetic look to Lexa, mouthing 'sorry' before Finn took her wrist and dragged her away.

Lexa could feel herself seething. How _dare _that insolent boy treat Clarke like she was some _branwada goufa_ who needed a caretaker. It was blatant disrespect, and Lexa had to restrain the urge to knock him in the head to see if it would put some sense into his brain.

Lexa began her return to her own camp, pondering over what it was about the skai girl that made her feel such emotions.


	6. We're moving

**NOT AN UPDATE.**

Hello, friends.

This is a message to inform you that I am leaving this account. There will not be any more updates on any stories, nor will I be posting any new ones.

I will still be posting and updating stories on archiveofourown under the name FellowLesbian if you want to keep following me, but the majority of my stories will likely not be finished. I've fallen out of the Percy Jackson fandom, so those stories are done for. Game of Thrones and How to Train Your Dragon I am still a part of, just not as invested in. The only stories that will be updated are my 100 ones.

So if you want to see some clexa fics, keep up with me. If not, well, I'm not sure what else I'll be posting.

If you want to contact me (for whatever reason) do so through a03 or my Tumblr account FellowLesbian.

Thank you to all of my fans on all of my stories. I love you guys.

Cheers.


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